How to get from Luton Airport into central London

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Located 51.5km (32 miles) northwest of London in the county of Bedfordshire, you’d be right to question whether Luton (airport code LTN) is in London. But despite the distance, the journey from Luton Airport to London can be surprisingly quick.

There’s no direct express train, as for some of the other London airports, but you can get here on the 24/7 Thameslink train, which stops at St Pancras, Farringdon, City Thameslink and Blackfriars, as well as connects directly to Gatwick Airport (the only direct train connection between two London airports). Your other option are the coaches that terminate at either Victoria or Baker Street and stop at a few central London stops.

Luton Airport to London top travel tips

The transport type you choose will mainly depend on where you’re heading to in central London. It’s a huge city, and the cheapest or quickest option may not necessarily take you near where you need to go. Plug your destination into the Rome2rio search bar to find out the fastest way to get there.

If you’re taking the train from Luton airport to London, you can save 25% on tickets for groups of three to five people (Anytime Small Group fare) or 34% if you’re travelling off-peak in a group of three to nine (Groupsave ticket).

Buy train tickets online or at the airport (there’s a Travel Centre at Arrivals, as well as ticket machines in baggage reclaim and the shuttle bus stop outside the terminal at Bay T)

Select Luton Airport (LUA) as your departure train station to get the shuttle bus fare included. If your ticket is from Luton Airport Parkway (LTN), where the train actually leaves from, you can pay the shuttle bus fare separately (£2.10; cash only).

National Express and Terravision/Greenline run similar, but not identical, coach routes from Victoria Coach Station (and National Express also operates a service from Baker Street). Your choice will really depend on which route/schedule suits you better.

National Express has a dynamic pricing system, meaning tickets are cheaper the earlier you book them. If you’re booking tickets last minute/on the day, Terravision/Greenline’s flat-fee structure may well be better value.

Luton is currently undergoing renovations (until 2020), meaning the terminal can be pretty chaotic.

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